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Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, is a genius.
He took existing legends and myths and spun them into a
twenty-first century, fictitious thriller that captivated
imaginations around the world.
As any good author, Dan Brown claims that the book is
based on truth, believing that "some of the theories discussed
by these characters may have merit" (DanBrown.com). But
in actuality, the book is based on myths and legends invented
long ago.
Good Comes From the Book
Some of the myths contained in the book were invented by
Gnostics around two hundred years after Christ, in an effort
to discredit Him and His church.
Besides the fact that The Da Vinci Code is very
entertaining, I think it's good that myths and legends,
especially those of Gnostic origin, are exposed in the book.
Many people, through investigation of the things contained
within The Da Vinci Code, have learned about Jesus
and the Gnostic gospels.
As a matter of fact, this is Dan Brown's intention. On
his web site, he says, "My hope in writing this novel was
that the story would serve as a catalyst and a springboard
for people to discuss the important topics of faith, religion,
and history."
The Plot
In The Da Vinci Code, a man and woman (Robert Langdon
and Sophie Neveu) try to find the Holy Grail -- proof that
Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married, had at least one
child, and that Jesus' descenDants walk the earth toDay.
In the end, the woman learns that she is a descenDant of
Jesus, which is a life altering revelation.
The movie ends with Robert Langdon solving the puzzle and
determining the location of Mary Magdalene's body. With
the body, DNA testing can be done to prove that specific
individuals are Jesus' descenDants through Mary Magdalene.
But this isn't the end of Robert Langdon. Dan Brown is
working on a sequel to The Da Vinci Code that picks
up where the book left off, exploring "the hidden history
of our nation's capital" (DanBrown.com).
Grail Legends
There are three grail legends. The first legend came from
the imagination of Chretien de Troyes in the 12th century,
who introduced the Holy Grail to the Arthurian legend as
the cup from the last supper.
Other grail legends expanded and built upon the Arthurian
legend. One legend sets forth the Holy Grail as a small
cup with a few drops of Jesus' blood, collected by Mary
Magdalene in the garden after His resurrection. And another
legend sets forth the Holy Grail as royal blood --
Jesus married to Mary Magdalene whereby His earthly descenDants
walk the earth toDay.
Da Vinci's, The Last Supper
In The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown employs a legend
setting forth Leonardo Da Vinci as a member of the Priory
of Sion, an organization that protects the Holy Grail --
Jesus' marriage to Mary Magdalene, and His royal bloodline
on earth toDay.
Allegedly, Da Vinci reveals these secrets in The Last
Supper, which is illogical, even if he was a member
of such an organization. Some of the more notable aspects
of the Da Vinci legend are:
- He put Mary Magdalene to the right of Jesus, the position
of prominence. This is refuted by experts who note that
the person to Jesus' right is pictured similarly to Da
Vinci's painting of John the Baptist; hence, it's consistent
with Da Vinci's painting that the person to Jesus' right
is the apostle John.
- There is a knife in Peter's hand pointing toward Mary,
showing that Peter wanted to kill her and become the head
of the church. But the knife probably reflects the violence
Peter displayed when cutting off Malchus' ear in the Garden
of Gethsemane.
- The colors of Jesus and Mary's clothes are red and blue,
symbolizing royal blood, suggesting the Jesus and Mary
were married and had children, creating a royal bloodline
on earth.
- There is no grail in the painting, only small cups from
which the apostles drank. This supports the idea that
the Holy Grail was not the grail from the Last Supper,
but the secret that Jesus and Mary were married.
In reality, the Priory of Sion has been proven to be a
fictitious organization created by Pierre Plantard, to substantiate
his claiming that he was a descenDant of Christ. Before
his death in 2000, Plantard confessed that the Priory of
Sion was fictitious, and that the documents supporting its
existence were fake.
The Gospels of Philip and Mary Magdalene
The gospels of Philip and Mary Magdalene are Gnostic gospels
used in The Da Vinci Code.
The Gospel of Philip (late 3rd century) contains a fragment
that reads, "Jesus frequently used to kiss her on the."
The fragment breaks off and we do not know what followed.
Supporters of Gnosticism suggest that this is a reference
to Jesus' sexual relationship and marriage, telling us the
He kissed Mary on the mouth. But this is mere conjecture.
The fact is, no Gnostic gospel states that Jesus and Mary
were married, had a sexual relationship, or had children
-- such theories are advanced by modern religion, not by
early Gnosticism.
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene (late 2nd century) alleges
that Mary was the most loved by Jesus. She allegedly received
special teaching that none of the apostles received. And
Jesus, therefore, set her forth as the one He intended to
lead His church -- not Peter and the apostles.
Believe the Bible or Gnostic Gospels
In the next article, I'll explore Bible verses relating
to Jesus and Gnostics. We must decide whether to believe
the Bible, or Gnostic doctrines written hundreds of years
after Christ.
As for Christians, faith comes by hearing God's word, not
Gnostic doctrines (Rom. 10:17). Jesus is the source of our
salvation as we obey Him through His word (Heb. 5:9; Jn.
8:24; 12:48).
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